France E-Invoicing Providers: PDPs, Chorus Pro & Platforms for the 2026 Mandate

France's B2B e-invoicing mandate introduces a unique three-tier ecosystem: the government's own PPF (Portail Public de Facturation), certified private PDPs (Partenaires de Dématérialisation Privés), and the existing Chorus Pro platform for government invoicing. Choosing the right platform is one of the most important compliance decisions French businesses face before the September 2026 deadline.

Understanding the French Provider Architecture

Before comparing specific providers, it helps to understand the three distinct roles in the French system.

1. Chorus Pro (B2G — Government Invoicing)

Chorus Pro is operated by AIFE (Agence pour l'Informatique Financière de l'État) and has been mandatory for all invoices to French public bodies since 2017. It is a free government platform.

Who must use it: Any business that invoices French public sector entities (government ministries, local authorities, public hospitals, state-owned entities)
Who manages it: AIFE / Direction du Numérique de l'État
Website: chorus-pro.gouv.fr
Cost: Free

Chorus Pro handles B2G invoicing only. The new B2B mandate does not replace Chorus Pro — it operates in parallel. If your business invoices both government and private sector clients, you need both a Chorus Pro setup and a PDP.

2. PPF — Portail Public de Facturation (B2B Government Fallback)

The PPF is the government's B2B e-invoicing platform and the free fallback option for the mandate. It is an evolution of Chorus Pro and is operated by the same AIFE agency.

Who can use it: Any VAT-registered business in France
Cost: Free
Limitation: Manual web portal — not integrated with accounting software; suitable only for very low invoice volumes

For businesses issuing more than a handful of invoices per month, the PPF is impractical as a primary platform. Its main value is as a fallback or for businesses with no budget for a PDP.

3. PDPs — Partenaires de Dématérialisation Privés (Certified Private Platforms)

PDPs are the certified private sector route. They are private platforms that have been certified by the DGFiP to route Factur-X invoices between businesses and relay the required reporting data to the PPF.

Key characteristics:

Must be formally certified by the DGFiP before they can legally route B2B mandated invoices
Integrate directly with accounting software (ERP, cloud invoicing)
Provide real-time invoice status tracking
Handle the transmission, receipt, and status notification cycle automatically

Most businesses will use a PDP. Your existing invoicing software will typically connect to a specific PDP. Check your software provider's announcement for which PDP(s) they are integrating with.

Certified and Pre-Certified PDPs to Watch

The DGFiP began certifying PDPs in 2026. The certification list is updated on the DGFiP's official portal. Here are the key platforms that have announced PDP certification programmes or achieved pre-certification status.

Cegedim e-Business

Cegedim is one of France's largest e-document exchange networks, with decades of experience handling EDI flows for French businesses.

Track record: Processes hundreds of millions of French business documents annually
PDP status: Registered in DGFiP pre-certification programme
Strengths: Large existing customer base, deep ERP integrations (SAP, Oracle, Sage), high-volume capacity
Best for: Mid-market and large enterprises with complex ERP environments
Website: cegedim-e-business.com

Generix Group

Generix Group is a supply chain software company with a strong electronic invoicing and EDI practice in France.

PDP status: Active in DGFiP certification process
Strengths: Supply chain integration, multi-country support, handling Factur-X alongside other EU formats
Best for: Businesses with complex supply chains or cross-border operations
Website: generixgroup.com

Esker

Esker is a French company (headquartered in Lyon) that has been in document automation since 1985. Their platform handles both accounts payable and accounts receivable automation.

PDP status: Announced PDP certification application
Strengths: Full AP/AR automation, AI-powered invoice processing, multi-country capability
Best for: Businesses wanting to automate the full invoice lifecycle, not just transmit structured XML
Website: esker.com

Basware

Basware is a Finnish company with strong French market presence. They offer a full P2P (purchase-to-pay) network and are certifying their French offering as a PDP.

PDP status: Announced certification process for France
Strengths: EU-wide e-invoicing network, strong buyer side (AP automation), large enterprise experience
Best for: Large enterprises looking for a single platform for multi-country AP/AR compliance
Website: basware.com

DocProcess

DocProcess is a cloud-based B2B document exchange platform focused on the French and Romanian markets.

PDP status: In DGFiP certification process
Strengths: French compliance focus, both Factur-X and UBL support, SME-friendly pricing
Best for: SMEs that need a cost-effective PDP with responsive local support
Website: docprocess.com

How to Choose a PDP

With multiple PDPs entering the market, the choice can be overwhelming. Here are the key factors:

Your accounting software dictates a lot

Most businesses will end up using the PDP that their invoicing software integrates with. If you use Sage, Cegid, or Pennylane, check which PDP those providers have partnered with — that will likely be your PDP by default.

Questions to ask any PDP:

Has your DGFiP certification been granted? (Not just "applied for")
Which accounting/ERP systems do you integrate with?
What is your uptime SLA? (A PDP outage means an invoicing outage)
How do you handle invoice rejection notifications?
What archiving do you provide? (10-year requirement under French VAT rules)
What are the pricing tiers? (Per invoice vs flat monthly vs volume bands)

Verify certification before signing

The DGFiP publishes a list of certified PDPs at impots.gouv.fr. Do not commit to a PDP that has not yet been formally certified — being with an uncertified platform at the September 2026 deadline would leave your invoicing non-compliant.

Timeline for Setting Up Your PDP

For large enterprises with a September 2026 deadline, the realistic implementation timeline is:

Activity	Timeframe
Select and contract PDP	Q1–Q2 2026
ERP/software integration and testing	Q2–Q3 2026
Parallel run (old and new system)	1–2 months before deadline
Go-live	1 September 2026

Do not start integration in August 2026. The compliance deadline has no grace period announced.

Summary

Platform	Type	B2G	B2B	Cost	Best For
Chorus Pro	Government	✅	❌	Free	All (government invoicing)
PPF	Government	❌	✅	Free	Very low volume / fallback
Cegedim e-Business	PDP	✅	✅	Paid	Large enterprises, SAP/Oracle
Generix Group	PDP	✅	✅	Paid	Supply chain, multi-country
Esker	PDP	✅	✅	Paid	AP/AR automation
Basware	PDP	✅	✅	Paid	Large enterprise P2P
DocProcess	PDP	✅	✅	Paid	SME, cost-effective

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